Draft attachment for harness



(No Model.)

J. BLOEDEL.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR HARNESS. No. 394,051. M Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

m liiliii I illlll Ina P121501 forming part of this sp( *cilication, andin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB LLOEDEL, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,051, dated December4, 1888.

Application filed May 1, 1888. Serial No. 272,470. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB BLOEDEL, of Kansas City, in the county of\Vyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Draft Attachments for Harness, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings,

which Figure I is an elevation showingmy invention. Fi II is a detailview showin the pivoted draft hail, the hinged bail that carries thedraft-hook, and the looped metal strap that couples said draft-hailstogether, and connects by a link with thebell-crank loops with which thelower han'ie-strap en and Fig. III is a detail view showing the metalcoupling-loop and the pivoted couplin attaclnnent that as the line ofdraft changes from a draw into a holdback, and vice versa, by continuousadjustment holds the angling back straps and breaststraps in line witheach other. Fig. IV is a detail view showing the pivoted straps.

This invention is an improvement on Patent No. SOLE-l3], issued to meJuly 1, 1884, and relates to draft attachments for harness.

The present improvement consists principally in pivoted metalcoupling-straps that adjust the coupling of the breeching angle backstrap with the breast-strap, so as to bring them continuously on linewith each other when 'on a holdback draft, and a strap attachment thatcouples the d raft-hook bails with bell-crank loops, which themselvesare coupled by the lower hame-strap, so that (when the horse is holdingback) itexercises a tightening leverage on the hame-straps and thusenforces the grip of the hames within their recessed seat in the collar.

Among the most fruitful causes of accident and loss in teaming overhilly roads is the very imperfect adjustment of the back draft to theteam. No sooner is the struggle in surmounting the hill consummated andthe team begins to descend than the breast straps-on account of thenus-adaptation of the harness and the lack of co-operative actionrelatively of the breeching, which is the rear holdback, and thebreaststraps, which are the forward holdback, there being no union ofaction between the two or direct line of communication tly up with theend of the tongue and frequently unship the lower end of the hames fromtheir seat on the collar, so that they are forced up under the horsesthroats and choke them, and, even should the hames retain their hold ofthe collars, the collars themselves aid to throttle the horses. Now, thenecessary relation that the breeching has to the device is apparent, forthe angle-strap from the crown of the breech ing follows in a directline therefrom to the upper ring of my pivoted metal loop-strap with thelower ringot' which the breast-straps from the l'Ol'lg'llG-CllfllllS orneck-yoke connect. Thus it will be seen that however sudden and violentthe change from the forward draft to the hack draft, the hames cannot beunshipped from their seat on the collar or they and the collar forced upunder the horses throats to throttle them; but instead of that adverseaction my pivoted metal loop-strap that, with the angling back strap,connects direct from the crown of the breeching to the breast orl1oldbackstraps and through them to the point of the tongue, turns justsufficiently on its pivot (according to the steepness of the hill) tokeep my holdback devices on line with the line of back draft, so as tohold back in a continuous line from the tongue to the breeching.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar figures of referenceindicate like parts in all the views,1 represents a horse-collar, and 2the haines, to which this self-adjusting draft device is attached. Theupper ends of the hames are provided with the usual series of staples,3, to adjust the working length of the halnes to that of the collar andhorse 011 which they are used; also the upper hame-strap, 4, andrein-rings 5. V

6 represents the swinging draft-bails, which are of somewhat similarconstruction to those shown in my aforesaid patent, except that thebails in the present invention have a vertical adjusting movementintheir pintle-bearings, in contradistinction to the vertical draft-ad justment in my aforesaid patent, which is obtained by the vertical slideof the tug-hook strap on said bail. By my present improved means ofeffecting the vertical adjustment of these initial draft attachments thefriction and consequent wear on the parts is reduced, and by unitingboth the vertical and rotary movement of the bail and its tug connectionat the same points (the pintle-bearings of the bail) both movements arereadily effected, and the friction parts being box-bearings are easilylubricated, if desired. The pintle ends, 7, of said bails turn freelywithin the perforated ln 8, in which they are seated, (under the variedimpulse of the draft, whether the horse is drawing forward or holdingback.) The shankpins of said lugs are secured in said hames and rivetedthereto at a sufficient distance apart to allow free vertical movementfor the pintles of the bails in their bearings under the varied impulseof the changing line of draft.

9 represents curvilinear metal loop-straps that are bent and have theirbearings around the draft-bails, and the said loop-straps at th eirupper or draft ends are provided with loops 10 to form one section of ahinge to couple with the loops 11 of the secondary draft-bails 12, whichform the corresponding section of said hinge, and which coupling ispivotally secured by the pins 13, so as to form hinged connections forthe last-named bails, whose loops 14 seat the pivot-pins of thetug-hooks to which the draft-traces are attached. The lower ends of theaforesaid loop-straps are provided with small loops 15, that engage inthe slotted ends of the link-straps 16, loops on the lower ends of whichengage with the operative sections of the bell-crank loops 17, that aresecured by pivot-pins 18 in loose bearings in the loops 19 at the lowerends of the metal strap 20, that binds the hames. The forward sectionsof said bell-crank loops are engaged by the lower haine-strap, 21, thatcouples that end of the hames together.

22 represents pivotal straps that are connected by the pivot-pins orrivets 23 (on which they have loose bearings) with the loop-straps 6.The upper ends of said pivotal straps are provided with loops 24:, inwhich rings 25 are seated, to which rings are buckled or otherwisesecured the angling back-straps, which extend from the upperbreeching-ring on the rump of the horse forward and downward to saidrings 25. The lower ends of the pivotal strap are also provided withloops 26, that carry rings 27 for the attachment of the breaststrap.

It is to be understood that my present invention, while it isadvantageously applicable to all forms of harness, is especially adaptedfor use with my improved adjusting draft-harness, which latter is notincorporated 1 in this application. 7

For the better understanding of the especial advantage of thesubject-matter of the present application in its especial adaptation tobe connected with said harness, I will describe the position of theangling back-straps in said harness and their connection with my pivotedmetal coupling-straps of the present invention that are adjustable andwhen on a back draft bring said back-straps continuously in line withthe said breast-strap, with which said pivoted metal straps couple them.

In the use of this harness the common backband straight-across thehorses back is dispensed with, and also the strap that commonly connectsthe top of the breeching to the upper hame-strap, and their functions inconnection with the breeching are performed by the aforesaid anglingback-straps, which are secured to a ring that is connected to the top ofthe breeching in front and angle downward and forward to the upper ringssecured to my pivotal coupling-straps, as described, to which they maybe buckled or otherwise secured. Now, it will be seen that as thebreast-strap is secured to the holdback-rings at the lower ends of thesame pivoted metal straps, the angling back-straps and breast-strap areadjustable through my pivoted coupling-strap, so that when the forwarddraft is changed to a holdback the adjusting coupling-strap turns on itspivot and the angle back-straps are brought into line with the holdbackbreaststraps, maintaining a direct holdback line from the breeching asdirect as was the draftline with the traces in the forward draft. Thusthe horse is not placed at a disadvantage because of any adversearrangement of his harness, but his strength is applied in a direct linein either case to effect the purpose required. Again, as said pivotalstraps turn to their holdback position they draw upward on the pendentlimbs of the loop-straps 9, to which they are pivoted, and through theirconnections with the lever section of the bell-crank loops, in the othersection of which the lower hame-strap engages, a forcible leverage isbrought to bear on said hame-strap that tightens the grip of the hamesin the recess in which they are seated in the collar. It will thus beseen that just in the same increased ratio as the horse has to exert hisstrength in holding back so also will be increased the tighteningoperation or leverage of the bellcrank loops on the strap that securesthe hames in their seat in the collar, and the danger (so common) isremoved in'a severe back draft of dislodging the hames from their seatin the collar. And still again, as my said coupling-strap turns on itspivot when changing from a draw-draft to a holdback, thus keeping inline with said holdback, the holdback breast-straps are projected on thefore end of the pivot-strap, instead of, as is the case in commonattachments, either unseating the hames and throttling the horse byforcing them under his throat or forcing both them and the collar in thesame position. and so choking the horse.

Another feature of the improvement is that by thus attaching theholdback-rings to said pivotal straps instead of to the hames direct inbacking up or holding back the pressureweight is distributed over the.body of the horse instead of being concentrated on his neck. In the oldstyle of hames, when the pressure of the load in holding back is thrownon one side of the harness, the hame on that side is forced from itsproper position on the collar, which thus allows the collar to spread,and by so doing permits the horses shoulderblade to come in adversecontact with the draft-bearing of the collar, and consequently galls hisneck and shoulders; also, when the collar spreads below it contracts ortransforms its shape at top, which results in a sore neck for the horse.

Another important feature in the present device is that not only doesthe connection of the bell-crank loop through the curvilinear loop withthe draft-hooks and pivotal coupling-strap, as stated, insure thesteadfast holding of the hames in their seat during the severestholdback pressure, but also the said loop and link attaclnnent betweenthe drafthooks and bell-crank hame-loops give said connection a flexiblereactionary movement, after the holdloack is changed to a forward draft,then, under the joint operation of the pivotal coupling-strap and thelever-section of the bell-crank hame-loop, with their connecting parts,there is a coadjutory intluence to return the associate parts to theirnormal position.

In this device, when the weight is thrown on one of the draft-hooks, thehook slides upon its adjustable attachment to the hamc, and in f sodoing it pulls on the pivoted strap on the lower end of the hame, andthrough its connections to the opposite hame, which is thereby forcedinward, and vice versa, thus accommodatii'lg itself to the strain placedupon it.

I claim as my invention 1. In a draft attachment for harness, thepivoted, bell-crank hame-loops and the loop and link connections of saidbell-crank hameloops with the draft-hooks of the ha1nes,substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

2. In a draft attachment for harness, a pivoted adjustablecotupling-strap, 522, provided with a ring on its upper end forconnecting with angling back straps that connect with the top of thebreeching and provided with a ring on its lower end for connecting withthe breast-strap, the said couplin g-strap being pivoted to a metalloop-strap, 9, and swinging; draft-bail 6, to which are connected thestraps 9, said parts being arranged, as the forward draft changes to aholdback, and vice versa, to conform said angling back straps andbreast-strap in line with each other, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a draft attachmmit for harness, the combination of the hames, thebell-crank loops pivotally secured to the lower ends of said hames,means, substantiall as described, for securing the inner sections ofsaid loops together, and means for connecting the outer sections of theloops to the draft-hooks, sub stantially as and for the purpose setforth.

-l. In a draft attachment for harness, the combination of the hames, theadjustable draft-hooks 15, and the adjustable metal strap, said strappivoted to the loop-strap attachments 9 of the draft-hooks and providedwith rings at its ends to couple the angling back straps andbreast'strap and keep them in line in the varied changes of the forwarddraft and holdback, substimlially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a draft attachment for harness, the combination of the hames, theswinging draftbails with elongated pintles, the perforated lugs in whichsaid pintles have their bearings secured in the hames atsuiiicientdistance JACOB BLOEDEL.

Vitnesses:

JAs. E. KNIGHT, E. C. KNAUS.

